Tuesday, January 17, 2017

I have been repeating that same mantra
for years. If every household contributed an extra $2 per day, we could meet
our unfunded transportation needs. But what does that really mean to
residents of Ada and Canyon Counties? What would you get out of the deal?

Over the next few months, I am going to
highlight our highest unfunded priorities – projects that we desperately need,
if only we had the funding. I’m starting with our highest priority, I-84 in
Canyon County.

It probably comes
as no surprise that Interstate 84 in Canyon County between western Caldwell and Franklin Boulevard in Nampa is the region’s top priority. Both
safety and congestion are serious issues and will only get worse as time goes by.
Between 2008 and 2015 alone, there were 950 total crashes in that segment –
that’s an average of 119 per year!

“The area is in DESPERATE need of repair
and widening. Congestion is a MESS and the road is totally TORN UP with deep
cracks EVERYWHERE making it a hazard for us the daily travelers!”

“I drove this section of the Interstate
just this past week, and was appalled at the condition of the roadway, which is
under constant heavy use not only by local residents, but also by huge numbers
of out-of-state travelers and truckers.”

“The Nampa-to-Caldwell freeway… is not
just a ‘cosmetic’ concern--it is a real safety issue, which must not be
ignored…”

“As a Nampa resident, I normally avoid
this part of the freeway because of the roughness of the pavement and because
of the hassles of merging onto it.”

“The 3-lane to 2-lane neck-down west
bound in Nampa is dangerous (crazy, impatient drivers) and congested. While
that bottleneck is truly an annoyance, I am more concerned with the road
condition between Nampa/Caldwell.”

What may surprise
you is the price tag: over $330 million, based on ITD's most current cost estimate. To make
matters worse, the longer we wait, the more it will cost.

What would
this mean to you? You
would have a less congested and safer commute. The current bottleneck where the
interstate transitions from six lanes to four lanes would be eliminated. Additional
side benefits would likely include relieving congestion on the Caldwell-Nampa
Boulevard and making public transportation services more efficient.

But, $330 million in a lot of money. To put this into perspective, in 2015 the Idaho
Legislature passed House Bill 312, which raised the Idaho fuel tax and vehicle registration
fees. This increase added an additional $95 million per year statewide. This annual
statewide total is only 29% of what would be needed to widen I-84.

I appreciate
what was accomplished in the 2015 Legislature, but it’s not enough to pay for
these types of large projects. I often hear from people, “you raised my taxes,
now fix it” or “if they really wanted to, ITD would find a way to pay for it.”

It’s not that
simple. Believe it or not, ITD doesn’t have an extra $330 million just sitting
around. That said, they are constantly working on finding ways to fund at least
part of that section of I-84.

With COMPASS,
ITD has applied for several federal competitive grants to complete sections of
the work. While those grants so far have been unsuccessful, we keep trying. At
the same time, we also continue to ask the Idaho Legislature to augment its
2015 increase with additional, sustainable funding so that this, and other much
needed projects, do not continue to get kicked down the road.

Wednesday, January 11, 2017

Last month when
we presented our annual Leadership in Motion awards, it occurred to me that we
should share these types of success stories more than just once a year. So, I’m
going to use my blog to highlight notable projects or programs, large and
small, that showcase the amazing work that happens every day in the Treasure
Valley.

Most of you
know the story of the Broadway Bridge – the old 1956 bridge had outlived its
useful life. It was deemed “structurally deficient” and was no longer able to
accommodate the 24,000+ vehicles and countless bicyclists and pedestrians that
crossed it every day.

There was
little, if any, dispute of the need for rebuilding the bridge. However,
decisions regarding how to tear down and rebuild a new bridge that would accommodate
all users, and do so with minimal disruption, were not as straightforward. These
decisions could make or break the project. Ultimately they were the hallmark of
its success.

The Idaho
Transportation Department’s extensive, ongoing, and honest conversations with local
stakeholders – the public, Boise State University, the City of Boise, adjacent
businesses, Ada County Highway District (ACHD), and more – were instrumental in
shaping the final design of the bridge. From start to finish, ITD went above
and beyond to include and educate anyone and everyone who would be affected by
the bridge replacement.

ITD closed the
bridge on January 4, 2016, with a goal to open the new bridge before the first Boise
State home football game in September. Could a project of this magnitude, with
so many moving parts, really be completed in nine months?

Yes,
it could. Again, the key was open communication and cooperation. Without
assistance and partnerships with ACHD, the City of Boise, Boise State
University, and neighboring businesses, the project could not have been built
with such precision and on such a tight timetable.

So,
how did ITD foster an open and ongoing dialogue with its stakeholders to make
this project such a success? With an extensive and far-reaching public
involvement strategy that included:

Working
closely with local businesses to minimize impact. In fact, business owners
praised ITD for its efforts to keep them “in the loop,” and its timely response
to questions and problems.

Widely
distributing information on the closure, detours, and status updates on
construction. You would have been hard pressed to find someone who did not know
the Broadway Bridge was under construction.

Conducting
community workshops that ultimately helped ITD make the decision to construct
the bridge through a complete road closure, as opposed to a phased construction
with partial closures, and include wide bike lanes and sidewalks and keep the
greenbelt under the bridge open to the river.

Coordinating
with partners to keep traffic flowing on alternate routes, re-route the
greenbelt, and keep business access open.

The
new bridge was built to serve all users, is attractively designed, includes
greenbelt access on all four corners…and was built in just nine months. None of
this could have happened without the commitment to an open dialogue, clear
communication, and partnership toward a common goal by not only ITD, but its
partners, adjacent businesses, and the public.

Community Planning Association of Southwest Idaho

COMPASS is the designated Metropolitan Planning Organization responsible for transportation planning in Ada and Canyon Counties. The COMPASS Board comprises 39 members representing the cities, counties, highway districts, educational institutions, state agencies, and other entities within the two counties. COMPASS plays an important role in making decisions about future long-range transportation needs in the Treasure Valley, taking into consideration environmental and economic factors that affect the quality of life.

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Matt Stoll, Executive Director

Matt Stoll has been the Executive Director of the Community Planning Association of Southwest Idaho (COMPASS) since 2004. Under Matt’s direction, COMPASS has focused on developing and retaining collaborative and cooperative partnerships with local, state, and federal planning agencies and with Treasure Valley communities.

Matt has a Bachelor of Arts degree in geography from the State Univer­sity of New York and a Master of Arts degree in geography from Arizona State University. He is married with two daughters and is active in the Treasure Valley com­munity through his involvement in volunteer and non-profit organizations.

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